1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to devices for fishing rods butts, more particularly is concerned with an attachable/detachable reel seat butt protection device for use by persons active in fly fishing.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Areas that are potentially harmful to fly rod reel seat butts are common in a number of diverse settings, for example, during fly rod assembly, storage, transport, line rigging and while in use on or about the bank, shore, dock or boat. Several approaches have been proposed in the prior art to protect fishing rod butts.
One approach to fishing rod butt protection is the provision of an expandable, cup-shaped member mounted for covering the butt end of the fishing rod. The main drawback of the cup approach to fishing rod butt protection is its inability to provide secure attachments to the rimmed butts of fly rod reel seats. Examples of such approaches are illustrated and described in U.S. Pat. No. 831,150 to Fraser, U.S. Pat. No. 1,556,966 to Selig, and U.S. Pat. No. 2,144,122 to Pflueger.
The provision of the cup-shaped device for fishing rod butt protection is believed to be the preferred one. However, none of the devices of the cited prior art patent references is felt to represent a particularly desirable nor highly satisfactory solution to the problem of how best to protect the rimmed butts of fly rod reel seats.
Consequently, a need remains unfilled for an improved approach for protecting the rimmed butts of fly rod reel seats.
The present invention provides a fly rod butt protection device designed to satisfy the aforementioned need. The fly rod reel seat butt protection device of the present invention meets the fly rod seat butt protection requirements and needs of both freshwater and saltwater fly fishing anglers.
The fly rod reel seat butt protection device gives users the option of attaching or detaching the device as needed for fly rod assembly, storage, transport, line rigging or fish-fighting leverage.
The fly rod reel seat butt protection device is a resiliently expandable body comformable to the shafts and rimmed butts of fly rod reel seats. The body has rear and front ends, a bore formed in the front end, an interior annular ridge and recess, and an exterior surface tapering convergently from the front to the dome-shaped rear end.